1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid discharge head that discharges a liquid, and an electric wiring substrate to be used for the liquid discharge head.
2. Description of the Related Art
A typical inkjet recording head (hereinafter, also referred to as a “recording head”) represented by a liquid discharge head that discharges a liquid, includes a recording element substrate comprising a discharge port that discharges a liquid and a recording element that generates energy for discharging an ink from the discharge port. Further, the recording head includes an electric wiring substrate electrically connected with a recording element substrate, for supplying power from the outside to the recording element and sending a signal for driving the recording element.
In this case, when a number of signals for driving the recording element substrate is increased to improve an image quality, then a number of wirings within the electric wiring substrate is increased. In addition, a full-line type recording head having a print width comparable with a width of a recording medium, as discussed in US Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0044355, may have an increased number of the recording element substrates, in order to adapt to the print width. Also in such a case, a number of the wirings within the electric wiring substrate is increased.
As a number the wirings is increased in this way, a number of electrical contacts with the outside provided in the electric wiring substrate is increased. In a case where these are integrated into a single connector, when the connector (electrical contact group) is attached or detached, an inserting/withdrawing force required for attaching/detaching it becomes large, and there is a risk that a load applied on the recording head may become large. Thus, the invention discussed in US Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0044355, has a configuration such that connectors (male connector 61 of sub-substrate 60) provided with a plurality of electrical contacts with the outside of the electric wiring substrate, are divided into two or more, and provided in a longitudinal direction of the recording head, in other words, along a disposed direction in which a plurality of the discharge ports are disposed.
In an electric wiring substrate having a plurality of connectors, when a plurality of connectors is arranged within a narrow region, adjacent connectors are arranged to come close to each other. As a result, a space to be used when connectors are attached or detached will be limited, and there is a risk that the workability may be degraded. In order to prevent degradation of the workability, it is desirable to arrange adjacent connectors apart enough from each other in the direction of the disposed discharge ports, and to secure a space where the connectors are attached or detached. However, in this case, it is possible that a width in the disposed direction of the discharge ports in a connector region where a plurality of connectors of the electric wiring substrate is provided, may become large.